Pair Pleads Guilty in Dyed-Money Scam

A New Jersey man and a Philadelphia resident have admitted they tried to scam victims with worthless paper dyed black that was portrayed as real money and sold to people who paid to have the dye removed.

Acting New Jersey Attorney General John Hoffman announced Tuesday that 38-year-old Nyondah Blay of Trenton and 36-year-old Carl Jenkins have pleaded guilty to attempted theft by deception. In return for the pleas, prosecutors will recommend that each man receive a 364-day county jail term when they are sentenced Nov. 1.

Authorities have said the pair told people they needed several thousand dollars to buy chemicals to extract the dye from the paper. They said the money was dyed to avoid detection and was smuggled out of Liberia.

The men promised those who paid for the dye would be repaid several times more than what they gave. Instead, they left victims with worthless paper.

Hoffman said that Blay and Jenkins entered their pleas Monday.

They were arrested in February in Cherry Hill as a result of a sting operation. Authorities have said the men attempted to steal $75,000 from someone they believed to be an unsuspecting victim, but the men were arrested after they allegedly took several thousand dollars from the person.

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